Present-day computer systems often use architectures which isolate business logic from user interface considerations and data use, such as the Model-View-Controller (‘MVC’) architecture or the three-tier model. One of the many advantages of such architectures is that any component can be changed without affecting the other. Any of the three tiers may be upgraded or replaced independently as requirements or technology change. Typically, a Database Management System (‘DBMS’) on a database server or mainframe contains the computer data storage logic. Isolating data use keeps data neutral and allows leveraging of the data by business logic outside of the original application.
Current enterprise resource planning (‘ERP’) is an enterprise-wide information system designed to coordinate all the information and activities needed to complete business processes. An ERP system is based on a common database and a modular software design. The common database can allow every department of a business to store and retrieve information.